PBs in Winston-Salem keeps it simple, but excellent

Biting into a warm, fresh-made hamburger and feeling the crackle of cold lettuce and tomato in your mouth is something special. Bring to the table what many consider one of the best hot dogs in the Triad and you are ready for some magic.

PB’s, located in the Ardmore community of Winston Salem, is an oasis for hot dog lovers. It was opened in 1987 by Mike Mayo and his sister, Patty Pate.

“The place is named after my uncle Mike, who’s nick name was Polar Bear,” said Brandon Pate, the son of Patty and Richard Pate. “He was a big guy.”

When Mike passed away in 1999, Brandon’s mother, Patty, and his father, Richard, took over the operation.

“This is a family operation and we plan to keep the business in the family,” Brandon explained. “I have worked at the restaurant since I was 14 years old. My family lives in Ardmore and I just bought a house right up the street. We’re local.”

According to Brandon, most everything on the menu is made fresh daily including the slaw, which is his paternal grandmother’s recipe and the bleu cheese dressing and lemonade which is his maternal grandmoher’s recipe.

“We come in each morning and patty out the burgers by hand, make fresh chili and slaw and get ready for the day.” Brandon said. “I have to compliment our long-time staffer Gray Wiggins, who has worked with us for 14-plus years, for making sure everything is done and ready for our customers. He is our prep guy, who makes all the slaw, cuts the onions and makes sure we are all set to go.”

“We keep it pretty simple so we can make sure everything we do is the best it can possibly be,” Brandon said. “But our hot dogs are what people like the best!” When asked what makes his hot dogs the best, Brandon said, “We sell between 300 and 400 hot dogs a day. With homemade chili, slaw, freshcut onions and a warm, toasted bun, you can’t go wrong. We also have the original, old grill and it has been broken right and gives everything a great flavor.”